Clarence Richardel
April 9, 2007Lafourche deputies foil couple’s illegal romantic fling
April 11, 2007The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States dropped by 23 last week to 1,726.
Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,438 were exploring for natural gas and 283 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Thursday. Five were listed as miscellaneous. Last week’s report was released a day early because of the Good Friday holiday.
A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,579.
Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana gained six rigs, New Mexico gained three and Colorado and Alaska gained one each. Texas declined by 17, Wyoming dropped by 10 and Oklahoma lost four. California was unchanged.
Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. The industry posted several record lows in 1999, bottoming out at 488.
